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Parque Nacional Torres del Paine
Torres del paine 3.jpg Hosteria pehoe 4.jpg Hosteria pehoe 1.jpg Salto chico 3.jpg Salto chico 1.jpg Torres del Paine 1.jpg Torres del paine 5.jpg Torres del paine 4.jpg Torres del paine 11.jpg Torres del paine 10.jpg Torres del paine 8.jpg Torres del paine 7.jpg Torres del paine 6.jpg Torres del paine 5.jpg host-16.jpg host-13.jpg Introduction Torres del Paine National Park is in Southern Chile (Region XII). It is famous for the Torres del Paine and Los Cuernos, plus a host of lovely lakes (Lago Grey and Lago Pehoe, amongst others), glaciers and rivers. A common trek is the W-Trek, so named due to the shape of the route. There are also boat rides on the lakes as well. Following a serious forest fire just after Christmas, that destroyed more than 6% of the park, the Southern sector of the park is currently closed. The Northern sector has already reopened. Most of the services are back to normal, although the evidence of the forest fire is still apparent. Location 51˚0'0"S 73˚0'0"W 147 km from Puerto Natales; 393 km from Punta Arenas; 394 km from El Calafate; 374 km from Río Gallegos. Park Fees A park entry fee of $15.000 Chilean Pesos is charged during high season, and $5.000 Chilean Pesos in low season. Children pay $5.000 and $3.000 respectively. Weather The weather in the park is classified as a zone with a cold rainy climate, without a dry season. The weather conditions are highly diverse due to the variety of natural features in the park. The rainiest period is in March and April, when precipitation is almost double that in July to October, the driest spell. The region has a mild summer with maximum temperatures in January, while winters are harsh with the coldest period in July. Summer is very windy with strong gusts of wind, whereas winter is much less windy. Getting There & Away The nearest commercial airport is at Punta Arenas, with regular flights by LAN Chile and Sky Airline from Santiago via Puerto Montt. Buses travel from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales. Navimag Ferries travels from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales and back. From Puerto Natales, buses take passengers into Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. The road is paved from Puerto Natales to Cerro Castillo (near the border crossing with Argentina) and continues unpaved to the park. Accommodation Hotel Salto Chico is the ultimate in accommodation options, located next to Salto Chico on Lake Pehoé. Another good option is Hotel Las Torres, which is a former ranch (estancia). A more down-market option is the Hostería Pehoé. There is another hostería on Lake Grey, Hostería Lago Grey, which runs a ferry to the Grey glacier. Patagonia Camp offers luxury yurts overlooking Lago Toro, but is a little far from the main attractions. While Ecocamp Patagonia offers a low-impact option. Lower down the comfort scale, Vertice Patagonia and Fantástico Sur have a number of lodges, refuges and camp sites. Situated between Hotel Salto Chico and Hostería Pehoé is Camping Pehoé which offers camp sites at a lovely location by the shores of Lago Pehoé. Do note that the government has put a stop to further hotel developments within the National Park. As a result, many new developments have sprung up in Puerto Natales and Puerto Bories. However, even though these hotels offer daily excursions to the National Park, they are some 2 hours from the National Park. Category:Chile Category:Patagonia Category:National Parks Category:Torres del Paine